@Google: Lawrence Lessig: Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress—and a Plan to Stop It

In an era when special interests funnel huge amounts of money into our government-driven by shifts in campaign-finance rules and brought to new levels by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission-trust in our government has reached an all-time low. More than ever before, Americans believe that money buys results in Congress, and that business interests wield control over our legislature.

With heartfelt urgency and a keen desire for righting wrongs, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig takes a clear-eyed look at how we arrived at this crisis: how fundamentally good people, with good intentions, have allowed our democracy to be co-opted by outside interests, and how this exploitation has become entrenched in the system. Rejecting simple labels and reductive logic-and instead using examples that resonate as powerfully on the Right as on the Left-Lessig seeks out the root causes of our situation. He plumbs the issues of campaign financing and corporate lobbying, revealing the human faces and follies that have allowed corruption to take such a foothold in our system. He puts the issues in terms that nonwonks can understand, using real-world analogies and real human stories. And ultimately he calls for widespread mobilization and a new Constitutional Convention, presenting achievable solutions for regaining control of our corrupted-but redeemable-representational system. In this way, Lessig plots a roadmap for returning our republic to its intended greatness.

While America may be divided, Lessig vividly champions the idea that we can succeed if we accept that corruption is our common enemy and that we must find a way to fight against it. In Republic, Lost, he not only makes this need palpable and clear-he gives us the practical and intellectual tools to do something about it.

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News & Politics

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• copyright
• IP

[NewAgeMagazine]

Dear Google,

Please expose everything the government is doing. Please don't listen to them if they ever tell you to remove videos because they are "anti-government" or anything along those lines. Please educate people on what true capitalism is, not the crony capitalism we have today. Please spark a peaceful revolution in the way people think about government and business.

[atatassault]

@AKansan63 This needs to be the top comment. I'm going to show this video to every single person I know.

[KingKhain]

@ThePrisoner6 The corruption is happening right now, too. It's just that it's all legal, it happens right before our eyes, and they can't be prosecuted for it at all. So yes, please bring back the old days where they could actually be prosecuted and put in jail if found out.

[ThePrisoner6]

Sadly, I think that small dollar contributions would only mean the return of old-timey corruption.

[gstrummer]

How big is our defict? $5 trillion?? Err... "5 Trillion Like"

[TheTopBloke]

@c433z I agree. It's only provided an illusion to pacify the ignorant masses who have little time to educate themselves. I think focusing on equal time as opposed to funding is a better strategy for solving the problem. I envision a legal framework where the candidates are ensured equal time in mainstream media channels. Radio, television, newspapers. Banning political ads like we do alcohol and tobacco ads.

[tanio12]

@socialmediaguru

why is he a moron if he had voted republican the problem would still exist. people must understand obama like romney gingrich paul santorium are POLITICIANS. Obama is merely a passenger on the train just like the rest.

[tanio12]

@GrowMap

people make it seem like small businesses are the solution how many small businesses can sustain 20,000-100,000 people . there are some sucess stories with small business but there are plenty more that arent.

[c433z]

@c433z Why would public funding be messy? You opt in to a limited-contribution fund as opposed to what we already do. Limit the funding to parties instead of individual candidates? Maybe you need to poll a minimum percentage? I'd rather deal with these questions than have the current system as it is.

[c433z]

@TheTopBloke The role of soft money has increased and super PACs allow the donors to be undisclosed. I wouldn't say the actions taken have been in an attempt to return power to the people, rather to the same interests that lobbied for those bills to be passed.

[Soulforged42]

@socialmediaguru This is exactly the kind of mentality that is part of what is destroying our nation and its political process. Drop the self-destruction "us against them" way of thinking.